The European culture (i)

How can we define the European culture and identity from an astrological perspective?

Using the astrological method may help us to plot a direction of thinking we could never have imagined. Astrology is unmatched as a technique to model and qualify time and the processes of change. Astrology enables us to think out of the box in a holistic way about the nature of reality.

Astrology - Geert Hofstede

As a point of reference I use Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions. This means that the horoscope indicates how these cultural dimensions, which are used by Hofstede to characterize different cultures globally, are highlighted within a specific chart of an organization or country.

There is no formal relation between this model and astrology, however as a scholar I know this model well enough to see its symbolical reference to the astrological chart. By mapping this model on the chart I have introduced a new set of keywords to delineate the astrological chart in cultural terms. This is a novel technique and it will be interesting and exiting to explore the disrupting theories and innovating insights it helps creating.

Hofstede-dimensions-mapped


The European identity (i)

From an astrological perspective we can say that the roadmap for the development of an European culture and identity is already there. It is the chart of European Unon itself which is the identity and culture shaping entity. Therfore I am going to delineate that chart to answer the main question. 1) What can be said about the European culture based on the chart of the European Union itself?

In part (i) we focus on the European chart. The European Union came into being in 1958, Jan 1, 12:00 am in Brussels (Book of World horoscopes).  Its chart which I have used in many other postings in this blog looks like this:

The-chart-of-Europe

Prominent in the chart are the angles and the Sun.

The Asc is located on the Virgo-Libra cusp, which indicates that the way Europe asserts itself is in a mixed analytical and diplomatic way. Europe looks at the world from a practical and harmony seeking perspective.

The IC is located on the cusp of Sagittarius and Capricorn. This should implicate that the EU sees its constitution as a globally expansive, freedom loving concept and as a conservative, traditional family. The roots of the EU originate from a philosophical and political source.

The DEC is located on the Pisces-Aries cusp, which indicates that the EU relates to others (externally) in a chaotic but selfless way, blending in the world community or in an impulse, assertive and challenging way by putting its self interest first.

The MC is located on the Gemini - Lobster cusp, which indicates that the EU's main contribution to the global community is realized through trade and learning on the one side and 'caring' and safety on the other.

Its Sun in Capricorn/4th house means its identity is primarily enhanced through a material focussed, risk avoiding, authoritive and ambitious approach to issues in its internal domain. Sun in the 4th means 'good feng shui', a good place to be. The EU identity is predominantly the result of an internal process and internally focussed.

This rough analysis is quite amazing. I think Europe as a brand could incorporate these identity aspects in its communication much better. All aspects are a bit bi-polair switching between angular and cadent house characteristics. This makes the EU chart more dynamic. It seems that the EU takes initiative and leads but is able to follow too at the same time.

Positioning the EU culture

The Turkisch uneasiness

There is some form of uneasiness going on between the EU and Turkey for many decades. What is this strange and uncomfortable feeling, could this be addressed astrologically? Perhaps yes.

In this post I comment on recent developments related to the sudden and unexpected reappearance of Turkey in the chaotic European political actuality of october 2015.

I will try to show that this reappearance of Turkey is  symptomatic for the present state the European Union is in. With the European Union I mean for the EU as an organisation and representing body of the European identity.

The European Union came into being in 1958, Jan 1, 12:00 am in Brussels (Book of World horoscopes).  Its chart which I have used in may other postings in this blog looks like this:

The-chart-of-Europe

The Turkey - EU synastry

If we look at the comparison chart of the Turkey national chart and the chart of the European Union we may notice something that may explain this uneasy feeling. The question we try to answer here is how does the Turkisch national chart effects the EU chart?

The Turkey national chart came into being on 29 October 1923, 8:30pm in Ankara (Book of World horoscopes), the chart looks like this:

Turkey

The synastric influence of the Turkisch national chart on the EU chart looks like this:

Turkey-synastric influence-on-EU

The arrow points at Pluto in the Turkisch national chart (outer ring of planets) which is in full opposition to the Sun in the EU chart (inner ring of planets).

In synastric text books on 'relations' difficult Pluto-Sun aspects, like squares and oppositions are negatively labelled. This could mean that the Pluto partner may have a slow but steady deteriorating influence on the identity shaping, leading and integrating force of the Sun partner in the relation, an influence that may become utterly destructive for the Sun partner.  Perhaps we could apply this analogy to the Turkisch-EU relationship.

If we do it could explain the uneasiness between both entities during the last 30 years. With the EU (Sun) constantly evading and receding, and Turkey (Pluto) constantly trying to force its way in. Trying to get hold on the other but not understanding why the other is behaving this way.

Relational astrology also indicates that this type of uneasiness between partners may probably not go away and prevents the relation from establishing itself, no matter what both partners do to console each other. Perhaps we could also apply this analogy to the Turkisch-EU relationship.

I haven't researched the relation between the EU chart and other EU country's national charts, but perhaps some of them may also contain synastric aspects like this one.

An European internal crisis

Another way of looking at this situation is from a more psychological perspective, which implicates that whatever happens internally in ourselves we also attract on the outside. As if we orchestrate real life scene's in which we experience these emotions alive. As if we unconsciously organize scene's with actors that are symbolic representations of our emotional constitution.

What are the signs of this internal emotional constitution in the present EU chart that may point to this psychological effect in relation to Turkey?

If we take a good look at the 2015 transits in the European Union chart we see a Pluto transit on its Sun. This means the EU's identity shaping, leading and integrating force is under pressure, it is being eroded, it is in crisis and being transformed. Nothing could be more true about the current condition the EU is in.

2015-transit-chart-European-Union

The transit of Pluto conjunct Sun in the EU chart started in 2011 and ends in 2017. Perhaps we could assign the whole Syrian crisis to this event. An event in which Turkey features as one of the main actors through which the EU experiences its own identity crisis.

Psychologically speaking, one could say that Turkey is unconsciously selected because of its synastric influence on the Sun in the EU chart through its Pluto. The EU unconsciously selects Turkey to feature in a role and scene which is exemplary for its inner constitution. This fundamental friction between both natal charts is triggered by the current transit, which leads to this actual scene and role play.

There will probably be many more actors on the scene who are in some way  exemplary for this internal event in the EU chart. Actors who feature in this role because of their particular synastry with the EU chart, but we don't know their charts so we don't know them.

Stepping up demands in the current negotiations forcefully on the one side  (Turkey), and on the other not taking responsiblitity for the situation and taking the easy way out (EU) are symbolic roles for this scene in which Turkey and the EU are casted. As its identity is tested through the impact of other charts the EU may live through it or not, learning and maturing.

New neighbours in the Turkisch backyard.

Looking at the 2013 transits in the national chart ofTurkey we see that in late 2012 something unsettling happened for the Turkisch people, a Pluto 7th ingress which means that Plutonic relations emerge. A Pluto 7th house ingress may mean relations who force themselves into your live and don't take no for an answer. Violent and manipulating partners, crisis and transformation through partners.

This may be a diffficult thing for the next decades to come, while Pluto is transiting through its 7th and 8th house. Turkey may be up to its ears into the Syrian war which introduces plutonic relations that may take the Turkisch society off its course in the coming years.

Turkey-chart-transit-2013

From the perspective of this Pluto 7th ingress it seems only logical that Turkey seeks rapprochement to the EU.  It's not only the refugees who are seeking a safe haven.

While the EU chart is driven by its current identity crisis, the Turkisch chart may be driven and motivated by the emergence of its new neighbours in its backyard. A cooperation between the EU and Turkey should focus on solving those real and immediate needs in both charts.

From this point of view the current push for EU membership by Turkey may introduce a negative spiral between the EU and Turkey, causing the EU to recede and Turkey to drift in the direction of their new neighbours. Likewise by giving in to the Turkisch demands only to relieve its refugee problem the EU may drift towards breaking up.

In this way both partners are not solving anything, not for themselves and not for the other. Any new cooperation should be discussed based on the correct assessment of each others current problems and of their permanent relational stress. Otherwise this situation could evolve into a worstcase scenario for both EU and Turkey.